Nano nano

If you ever go to India, one of the things you’ll notice immediately is the death-trap-esque roads. I learned to drive in London, where drivers are not known for their sensitivity or gentleness, but the city streets pale in comparison to India’s highways. Auto-rickshaws abound, zipping between lanes, cows and pedestrians with gay abandon. Its not at all unusual to see a single motorbike carrying an entire family standing/sitting/riding, but hopefully that sight should become rarer. The Tata group today unveiled the world’s cheapest car - The Tata Nano. At a cost of just £1250 each, it’s designed to be affordable for families. But it’s not a naff family car, it’s really quite nifty and attractive. Tata’s Nano is reminiscent of a Smart car or the new VW Beetle, but a lot cheaper, and cleaner. Tata expect other car companies to follow suit, bringing lots more smaller, lighter greener cars to the market. Bring it on, I say, and do feel free to send me a test model should you feel the need.

My only quibble is that I do think the name is a bit unfortunate, hear nano think ipod, hear Tata’s think bosoms. But it’s a real bargain, and it’s cute, and if it provides an opportunity for people with very little money to travel more safely then we can overlook the name for now.

Photo borrowed from Wikipedia